Xannova Xan, The Greek singer-songwriter collaborating with Keren Peles and Tomer Biran in “Ethnikos Telikos 2026”, in an exclusive interview for Euromix!
The Greek singer Xannova Xan, known for participating in “Ethnikos Telikos 2025” with her song “Play it!” and collaborating with Keren Peles and Tomer Biran in “Ethnikos Telikos 2026” giving an exclusive interview for Euromix. What does she think about Yuval Raphael, the treatment Israel got in the recent years, and Peles herself? Watch the special interview:
Hello Xannova! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What does your name even mean?
Hey guys, nice to meet you! My name is Xannova Xan and I’m a Greek-American singer-songwriter. Xannova comes from my first name Alexandria, I got the “Xan” from Alexandria and “Nova” is a star, so “Alexandria of the stars”.
There was a huge fuss in Israel about your collaboration with Keren Peles and Tomer Biran. How was collaborating with them? How did it feel?
It’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to work with such amazing songwriters and producers like Keren and Tomer, they are absolutely amazing, it’s been a great collaboration so far. I’m really happy with the song and how it turned out, it’s just an honor to be able to work with them. It’s really amazing.
How were the comments for the collaboration from the crowd?
There’s been a lot of positive feedback, I’ve been getting a lot of messages of support. There are a few messages that I’ve been receiving that aren’t as positive, which is unfortunate. But overall it’s been a positive response and they are very excited to hear the song because it’s three different worlds coming together and creating something really unique. So, it’s going to be very special, I really hope people get to hear it soon.
What do you think about Keren’s previous Eurovision entries?
I love both of the songs she submitted to Eurovision, and that’s why I was so excited to work with her. She’s such an amazing songwriter, “New Day Will Rise” and “Hurricane” are both amazing songs and I’m very blessed to have this beautiful ballad now and to be able to sing it. I think it’s just as good as those songs so I’m very excited.
We’ve revealed some details about the song. Can you give us one more piece for the puzzle?
It’s an amazing, very powerful ballad. It’s probably my favorite song that I ever sang, it’s the most challenging song that I ever sang. It’s very powerful and the lyrics – I completely relate to as well, I got really connected to the song and that’s why I really wanted to be a part of this.
The song is really different from what you’ve been delivering in your repertoire. How will you convey your essence on stage with it?
That’s a great question. We’ve already been talking about how we imagine it on stage. There’s a lot we could do with this song on stage, but mainly it focuses on the vocals. It’s a very challenging vocal performance, I don’t think I will be dancing too much. I’ll be standing and singing for sure, but other than that, it will be exciting to see what we create for the stage because there is so much to do with this song and this message.
You said this year you won’t dance, last year you did dance with “Play it!”. What did you learn from last year’s experience and how will you apply it in this year’s participation?
I experienced Eurovision when I was really young, I did Junior Eurovision and it was a whole different game from adult Eurovision, which was an amazing experience as well. I love the song “Play it!”, it was really fun to perform on stage. but this year singing something that’s a little bit more in my style, that highlights my strength which is singing, and that’s something I learned from last year.
I hope this year we have a bit more time to prepare for the stage show, because last year we had only two weeks and it was really quick, so I’m hoping we find out sooner then later and that we have a bit more time to prepare.
Do you define yourself as a Eurovision fan? Do you have an all-time favorite? Do you know some Israeli songs from Eurovision?
I’m a huge Eurovision fan! My favorite all time song is Euphoria by Loreen. My favorite Israeli song is “HaSheket SheNishar” by Shiri Maimon, which I loved as a little girl. It was the same year when I was in Junior Eurovision and that Greece won. I also loved “Hurricane” and “New Day Will Rise” as well, genuinely.
Do you have a message you wish to convey to Euromix viewers?
I am so happy to get to know you through this experience and to be able to sing a song so powerful and beautiful. I hope you enjoy the song and connect to it. I’m just really excited to have this collaboration between all of us from different parts of the world. I think it’s very important and special.
Amazing. I think you are a role model for everyone in Eurovision. That’s the spirit of “United by Music”!
Exactly, and if can I say, I picked the song because it’s a beautiful song, but it’s also an opportunity to be united by music. I think Eurovision is about music, and music about love. Some of the things that happened recently in Eurovision are unfortunate, when people are getting booed on stage, I don’t agree with that. I don’t think that’s right. I think politics should be separate from Eurovision. I admire Yuval (Raphael) for her strength last year. She’s absolutely amazing, she is a role model, I respect her very muvh.
Keren Peles’ Song
Created in collaboration between Euromix and Greek platform eurovisionfun, the song has already been submitted to Greece’s national broadcaster, ERT. Performed by Xannova Xan and produced by Tomer Biran, it’s described as a powerful ballad that distinctly carries Peles’ stylistic signature while embracing a contemporary, Eurovision-friendly sound.
The lyrics span both English and Greek; the Greek portion was penned by Poseidonas Giannopoulos — famed among Eurovision fans for writing “Secret Combination,” Greece’s third-place entry in 2008. If selected, it will mark the first time an Israeli songwriter has represented Greece at Eurovision.
Xannova Xan – Who Are You?
Kalli Georgelis, known by her stage name Xannova Xan, was born in Texas in 1992 but spent most of her life in Greece. At just 13, she proudly represented Greece at the 2005 Junior Eurovision as part of a duo performing the song “Tora einai i seira mas” and finished sixth — a highlight in Greece’s Junior Eurovision history.
In 2025, Xannova Xan participated in “Ethnikos Telikos” with the song “Play it!” blending Greek motifs with modern pop, finishing in fifth place.
Xannova Xan is characterized by a distinctive style – her stage name and costumes are highly extravagant and unique, aiming to project a look and essence that feel otherworldly. She describes herself as “the Alexandria of the stars”, meaning a conqueror of the universe.
It will be interesting to see the artistic clash between her and Keren Peles – the song is completely different from Zanova’s usual style. It strongly highlights her vocal abilities, but she will need to bring out a different side of herself on stage.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
